Hana and an Experience in Liminality
by notproperlykoalified
Summary: born-a-girl!Gohan fights to belong in the places between Saiyan and human, scholar and fighter, cynic and comedian. Features not-stupid!Goku, stupid!Nappa, and i'm-with-stupid!Vegeta. Some censored language.
1. Chapter 1

Hana,

OR

Why I shouldn't be Trusted with Characters

 **Chapter 1 – OR – Oh Kami I Hope she isn't a Mary Sue**

Hana wasn't dropped on her head when she was born. It was a near thing, though – Goku hadn't expected for his child to be so slippery. She slid through his fingers, and Goku juggled the babe for several seconds before he landed on his back with a thump. Hana fell lightly into her father's arms, all scrunchy and red. Goku held tiny Hana aloft, and smiled a dopey grin at his beautiful baby girl.

Chichi sighed. Now she had two children to raise.

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"Is that a tail?" Chichi questioned Goku, as if the extra appendage was his fault.

"Hmm," Goku considered, adopting a quizzical expression. "You know, I think it is a tail."

"And why does our baby have a tail, Goku?" Chichi demanded.

"I had tail, once!" Goku beamed. "But then I lost it." He frowned.

"I suppose you'll just have to live vicariously through Hana's tail, Goku," Chichi allowed herself a small grin. It was just like Goku to lose an appendage.

"Yay!"

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The first time Hana escaped from her crib to explore the isolated Son cabin, Chichi thought it was a fluke, or that Goku, bless the man, had let the baby out to play.

The second time Hana escaped from her crib, Goku found her first. He taught her how to throw a punch. Hana socked him in the nose.

The third time Hana escaped from her crib, she climbed a bookshelf. ChiChi found the monkey-tailed tot reading the dictionary. Chichi put a gate up around the crib. (Goku hid the dictionary under Hana's pillow. A conspiratorial wink was shared.)

The fourth time Hana escaped from her crib, she tottered over to where Goku was training. He showed Hana the moves of an early kata. Hana gleefully socked him in the nose.

The fifth time Hana escaped from her crib, she made a stack of pancakes. They were doughy, and a little burnt. Goku stole one of the pancakes, so Hana moodily kicked him in the shin.

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"Bilda Nonma manm?" Hana asked Goku, perched on a tree.

"Chichi is usually mad about something," shrugged Goku. "But that's how she shows her love for us, I think."

"Nonma manm den nonma wubn?" Hana curled into her Dad's side.

"Exactly!" Goku exclaimed. "Sometimes you need to get a bit angry to protect the people you love most – even if its from themselves. Chichi protects us by keeping us healthy with good food and being super smart and kicking the bad people!"

"Un bu?" Hana looked into Goku's eyes.

"I protect my family by always helping and trusting them," Goku held Hana close. "And by laughing with them," he tickled Hana. "And sometimes by kicking butt."

Hana giggled

….

A week later, Chichi found Hana outside, practicing her kicks. "Hana, what are you doing out here!" Chichi exclaimed, not really expecting an answer.

"Protect," Hana kicked the air again. "Protect Nonma un Da!"

Chichi nearly cried, then showed Hana a back kick.

…

"Hana said her first word today!" Chichi gushed, cooking a steak. Goku was inexpertly chopping (decimating) some carrots. "It was absolutely precious!"

"Really?" Goku looked up from his pile of orange mush. "You only noticed now? She's been talking to me for weeks!"

"She's just been babbling until now, Goku," Chichi responded. "Not speaking any real words."

"Really? I could understand Hana just fine!" Goku stuffed a handful of carrot mush into his mouth. "Just the other day we had this fantastic talk about whether Santa Claus could ever deliver millions of presents in a single night. Hana and I agreed that he could, but only if he borrowed nimbus. There's no way reindeer could fly that quickly!"

Chichi blinked. Goku didn't usually make things up like that. He was far too literal. Shrugging, Chichi returned to her cooking.

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When Hana potty trained herself at the age of one-and-a-half, Chichi forgave her daughter of any past or future wrongdoings.

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"What's that glowing orange thing, Dad?" Hana asked, perched on Goku's shoulders.

Goku, for his part, was settled on Nimbus. The cloud had taken a liking to the silly toddler. (And Hana too.) Goku looked into the trees, and saw a faint glow from the base of an oak. "I don't know, Hana," he smiled. "Let's check it out!"

"Maybe it's a Dragonball, like in you and Mom's stories!" Hana scrambled on top of Goku's head.

Nimbus zoomed toward the oak tree, weaving between the thickly grown trees. "Wow, Hana," smiled Goku. "I think it might really be a Dragonball!"

Hana's tail twitched back and forth in excitement as the toddler chirped happily. Nimbus landed at the base of the tree, and Hana jumped from Goku's head to the little orb. "Dad! Dad!" Hana cheered. "It's the four star Dragonball!"

Goku crouched next to Hana, lifting the Dragonball between their faces. "It sure is, Hana!" He smiled. "And you know what the rule is with Dragonballs…"

"Finders keepers!" Hana jumped up and down with excitement. "Unless people are dead!"

"That's right, kiddo!" Goku lifted the toddler up, and stepped onto Nimbus casually. "Maybe Chichi can make you a hat!"

…

Hana loved her hat.

…

"Chichi, I think Hana's ready to begin some real martial arts training," Goku turned to his wife, scraping the skin off of a potato.

"She's barely two years old, Goku," Chichi stirred some vegetables. "Isn't that a little early?"

"Not for Hana," Goku retaliated, almost dropping his potato.

"Huh," Chichi considered. "I suppose not. And a girl does need to know how to fight in this world…"

"Yay!" Goku dropped the potato.

"I'll teach her warm ups in the morning, and you can teach her ki control after her nap," Chichi planned. "She can study with me after dinner."

Goku's grin almost split his face in two.

"Oh, stop your smiling, Goku," Chichi chuckled.

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By the time Hana was three, she was put in charge of the Son family taxes. The employees at the IRS office pinned it on the wall as an example of the perfect tax form.


	2. Ch2 - The Invasion of the Vegetables

**Chapter 2 – OR - The Invasion of the Vegetables**

"Arrgh, Chichi, I be going to Capn' Roshi's isle!" Goku hopped down the stairs. "It's Talk Like a Pirate Day!"

It was only through patience built up from years of putting up with this sort of nonsense that Chichi restrained herself from sighing. "Of course it's Talk Like a Pirate Day. There's always something," Chichi released a slow breath. "I hate to let that pervert near Hana, but you're going to have to take her with you."

"Well, feed two gold doubloons to a parrot, it's me lucky day!" Goku vibrated with excitement. "Hana will love meeting Turtle, and Roshi, and Krillin, and Bulma and…"

"That's lovely, Goku," Chichi gathered her bag. "Well, I need to be off. Dad's bungled a peace treaty and I need to stop a war over a pig and stinky marsh. _Again_."

"Landlubbers," Goku shook his head disappointedly.

Chichi chuckled. "Breakfast is on the counter," Chichi opened the door. "And make sure Hana brushes her teeth."

"Ar, there be no scurvy on this ship," Goku promised. There was a small pattering of feet.

"Are you leaving, mom?" Hana asked, her eyes bleary.

"Yes, honey," Chichi gave her daughter a quick kiss on the head. "The Ox-king was being a bit ox-headed."

"Oh," Hana yawned. "Grandpa was being silly."

"Arr," pirated Goku.

"Precisely, dear," Chichi smiled. "Well, I love you Hana, and you too, Goku, even when you are a dastardly pirate."

"G'bye mom!" Hana hugged the woman's leg. "I love you too!"

"The lass be in good hands," Goku assured his wife, picking up Hana.

Chichi gave Goku a swift kiss, hugged Hana, and left to solve the diplomatic debacle.

"Is she gone?" Hana asked.

"Aye, lassie," Goku grinned. "We can now claim the booty from our pig thieving."

"You're a bad influence, dad," Hana chuckled.

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The setting was beautiful – the sun shining, mountains dotting the horizon and flowers blooming amidst the crops. It was positively idyllic.

Raditz hated it.

"You had one f***ingjob, Kakkarot," the burly Saiyan grumbled. "Turn this backwater planet into a living hell." The pants-less alien kicked a flower. "You better have one hell of an explanation."

Raditz flew in the direction of the nearest significant power level.

…

"Look, I might be green," Picollo snarled. "But that does not give you the right to call me a vegetable. And certainly not a carrot!"

Raditz flew away, grumbling under his breath about stupid slug-people wasting his time.

Picollo heard him. Like hell would he let some spiky-haired alien call him a slug.

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"Aargh!" greeted Master Roshi.

"Ahoy!" responded Krillin.

"I really need to make some new friends," sighed Bulma.

"Aye, that ya do, lassie," Krillin nodded knowingly.

"Shut up, Krillin," Bulma sat down with a thud.

"Yes, Bulma," Krillin gulped.

…

"Hey Dad?" Hana asked.

"Aye?" Goku turned to face his daughter.

"Why do you need to go to Master Roshi's to celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day?" Hana asked.

"I lost a bet."

"But then why does everyone else come?"

"It was a really big bet," Goku extended his arms for emphasis.

"You know, dad," Hana laid back on Nimbus. "I was a bit nervous about meeting your friends. But now I'm absolutely certain that they are all just as weird as you! There's absolutely nothing to be scared of at the Kamé house!"

…

Hana was terrified. There was a real space pirate at the Kamé house – and he wasn't there to celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day. The space pirate had a mane of spiky dark hair that extended past his winged armor-underwear. The space pirate wasn't wearing any pants, which Hana thought was terribly unfair – _she_ wasn't allowed outside without putting her pants on, or else Mom would nab her.

Hana frowned – maybe the space pirate didn't have a mom to tell him to put his pants on.

She would have asked the space pirate this pressing question – but the malevolence in his eyes frightened her. His eyes were angry, and hard, and not in the way Mom's eyes sometime flare. Mom yelled a lot, sure, but that was different. The space pirate, though – his gaze was disdainful, wrathful.

Hana had read those words before, in her stories, but never before had she seen a person who those words belonged to. She clung to her Dad's gi, trembling.

…

"Wait, so I'm a carrot?" Goku asked.

"No," Raditz growled. "Your name is Kakarrot, and you are a Saiyan."

"You're saying what now?" Goku blithely goaded the alien. He needed time to plan.

"Not _saying_ , you ignorant fool," Raditz seethed. "A Saiyan."

"I don't think I want to assail anything," Goku frowned. Raditz's power was enormous – it radiated off of the alien in seeping waves, like a bad smell.

"Gods, Kakarrot," Raditz brought a meaty hand to his forehead. "Sai – yan. Say it with me."

"Say – ing," Goku deliberately mispronounced. Goku knew this confrontation would end in a fight. Probably to the death. Goku also knew that Hana couldn't be here when that fight began. There was no way in hell Goku would let an overgrown Radish lay a hand on his daughter.

Raditz roared in frustration. "My brother, one of the last of our race, and _this_ is what I find – a worthless, weak, simpleton of a farce. Can you do anything right, Kakarrot?"

"I'm pretty sure I'm not a carrot, Radish," Goku tapped his finger on his cheek. "I've _eaten_ lots of carrots, though." Goku sensed another strong energy level approaching at high speed. Picollo.

"It is pronounced, Raditz, imbecile," the alien snarled.

"If you say so, Radish," Goku blinked dumbly. He wondered vaguely why Raditz hadn't already punched out his lights. The alien must have an incredible tolerance for nonsense.

…

Meanwhile, on a soon to be obliterated planet…

"Ah – Chooo" a mustachioed Saiyan sneezed explosively.

"Dammit, Nappa!" a flame-haired Saiyan spat venomously. "You've given away our position!"

Nappa pouted, shoving his flappy bottom lip out. "You're supposed to bless me! Now I'll die a slow and painful death." A flock of armored insects swarmed the simian pair.

"If only you would," Vegeta growled, punching through the thorax of his attacker, leaving the head to topple off as the insectoid bled orange juices.

"I think you might have some pent up aggression, Vegeta," Nappa nodded wisely. "You should take some Pilates classes – I hear it does wonders for your temper."

Vegeta kicked an insectoid attacker directly above the stinger. "There is no way in hell I will ever take Pilates," Vegeta snarled. The stinger exploded out of the rear of the insect, impaling two of its comrades. "And I do NOT have ANGER MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS!" He tore another insectoid asunder with his bare hands.

"I know what your problem is," Nappa raised his hand into the air triumphantly. "You must be sexually frustrated!"

"F*** you, Nappa," Vegeta viciously tore the wings from an insectoid. "F*** you straight to hell."

"I'm flattered, Vegeta," Nappa demurred. "But I don't see you that way."

"Raargh!" Vegeta blasted the remaining insectoids until nothing remained but ash and refuse. "One day, Nappa, I am going to kill you."

"That's nice, Vegeta," Nappa groomed his mustache.

"I hate you," Vegeta growled tiredly. "Raditz, report."

"God, Vegeta," Raditz sighed. "Kakarrot is almost as bad as Nappa."

"Kill him," Vegeta ordered, without any hesitation.

"Gladly," Raditz replied. "There's nothing of value on this dump of a planet."

"Hey," a whiney voice pierced Vegeta's ears, even galaxies away. "What about the Dragon Balls, the seven magical balls that together can grant any wish!"

"Any wish?" Raditz asked slowly.

"That's right!" the voice continued gladly, as if happy to feel important for once. "You can wish people back from the dead, heal any injury, even gain immortality!"

"Raditz, get those Dragon Balls," Vegeta ordered, his mind racing with the possibilities. "I will be there soon."

"Yes, sir!" Raditz agreed.

Vegeta smiled. If he gained immortality, he wouldn't have any need for Nappa anymore. Eternal bliss could be his.

…

Back on Earth…

Bulma whacked Krillin in the head viciously.

"Hey, what'd you do that for, Bulma?" Krillin complained, rubbing the sore spot.

Bulma whacked him again. "Because you're an idiot. And now that hunk of alien muscle is going to call all of his musclely alien friends over here to claim our all-powerful dragon balls!"

"Oh," Krillin said in a quiet voice.

"I'll make this simple for you," Raditz folded his arms imperiously. "Hand over the Dragonballs, or you, and everyone you love, will die in excruciating pain."

"Hana has one on her hat!" Krillin yelped, then clapped his hands over his mouth.

"Nimbus, now!" Goku sprang into action. He swiftly picked Hana up and tossed her onto the speeding cloud. He would have tried to save Bulma or Master Roshi in a similar manner as well, but he wasn't certain they could ride the finicky cloud. Goku settled into a fighting stance, and faced the hairy alien.

"Brother or not, I will never let you destroy this planet, Radish."

…

Picollo had plans for the Earth. He needed to rule the planet, and all of its people, with an iron fist. And there was no way some pants-less buffoon was going to stop him from bringing his plans to fruition – even if it did mean teaming up with Goku.

…

"Get on already!"

"Do you really think we're all going to fit on your scooter, Bulma?"

"If we don't you're the first one I'll kick off, you stupid loudmouth!"

…

Goku flipped backwards, dodging another barrage of kicks from his brother, and landed heavily in a fighting stance. He raised his arms over his head protectively – this was a fight he couldn't win alone.

"You're pathetic, Kakarrot," Raditz mocked, uninjured despite the many blows Goku had landed on him. "This planet has made you weak. It will be a mercy for me to rid this glorified ball of dirt of all of its sniveling inhabitants."

"Like hell you will," Picollo rocketed into the Saiyan, explosively kicking him in the face. "The only weirdo that will ever rule this planet is me." Dammit, that could have been phrased better, Picollo cursed to himself. Years of isolations don't help in the creation of witty one-liners.

"Uh, Picollo, you know you just…" Goku began.

"Shut it, Goku," Picollo grunted. "Just be glad I'm helping."

"Right," Goku nodded. The new allies charged the Saiyan warrior.

…

"Nimbus, stop," commanded Hana. The magical cloud obeyed.

Though Hana had by no means mastered the technique, Goku had begun to teach her ki sensing. He said the secret was concentration.

Hana needed to focus. The little girl removed her hat and gingerly placed it, and the dragonball it carried, on Nimbus. She folded her legs and sank into a meditative pose. The only sounds were the gentle lull of the ocean – the air was completely still.

Hana found her own ki first, and found comfort in its steady presence. She felt the nebulous energy of Nimbus, and the subtle energies of the ocean and its residents. Hana extended her focus farther, seeking the bubbly fire of her father's ki. He was nearby, but his ki burned low, like a sputtering flame instead of the usual healthy hearth. There were two other large ki energies near Goku's, one burning cold, the other… conflicted.

Hana didn't concern herself with them. Her dad was in trouble.

"Nimbus, take me to my dad," Hana requested. "But… covertly."

…

"How long does that attack take to charge, again?" Goku asked weakly, before being kneed in the stomach. He flipped over himself and caught himself just before landing in the ocean.

"Five minutes," Picollo growled.

"What's the point of an attack that takes five minutes to charge?" Goku demanded. "That seems like a bit of a tactical flaw." Raditz kicked him in the head.

"Take it or leave it," Picollo spat.

"Ow," Goku struggled to pick himself back up. Raditz walked over to the fallen warrior menacingly, a smirk playing across his wide lips.

"You could have been so much more than this, Kakarrot," Raditz kicked Goku in the side. "You could have been great!" Raditz kicked Goku once more, hurling him into the porch of the Kamé house. "But you chose to be a sympathetic weakling."

"What a pity," Raditz raised an arm to blast Goku into dust.

Hana sprung from behind the Kamé house, and punched the smirk off of Raditz's face, then followed up that blow with a series of furious kicks and blows. Hana aimed to strike in areas unguarded by the thick armor the Saiyan wore. She felt strong, and mad, and she wanted to do nothing more than make the Saiyan pay for hurting her dad and scaring her friends.

"You know what's a pity?" Hana pulled an arm back. "Having a homicidal alien for an uncle." She broke his nose.

Raditz staggered back, stunned. _That power level – it's impossible! She was barely stronger than the earthlings before but now…_ The reading on his scouter was tipping over 1,000. _Shit._

…

 _That's my girl_ , thought Goku dazedly.

…

 _That kid's barely taller than my knee!_ Picollo thought, equally parts annoyed and outraged.

…

Hana followed through by flipping over Raditz's back and yanking on his hair, landing with a thud and whacking his tail in the process.

Raditz yowled in pain, but recovered quickly. "You'll pay for that!" He yelled, and kicked the tiny girl viciously.

Hana collided with the Kamé house with an audible thud, and lay there, dazed. The strength she felt before faded, and Hana felt a dull ache in her chest. She tried to move, but every movement felt like fire in her veins. One tear after another fell, and Hana began to wail.

She had failed.

…

Goku couldn't be more proud, and even as his limbs shuddered in agony a grin split his face. _His_ little girl had just socked an alien in the nose – never mind that the alien was his brother. And now, Goku had a plan.

Which was good, because Raditz had _hell_ to pay. Brother or no, no one could get away with hurting his little girl. Making her cry. And looking _happy_ about it.

"You ready, Picollo," Goku asked, false cheer coloring his voice.

"Yes," the demon responded. "But I'll need a clear shot."

Goku nodded his understanding, and sprung into combat with renewed energy. Goku lured Raditz into a series of offensive kicks and punches, and though the blows were terrible, they were not strong enough to knock Goku from the fight. Raditz pulled back for a finishing strike, and Goku took the chance to dodge behind the Saiyan and seize his tail with one hand, wrapping his other arm around the Saiyan's neck.

"Now!" Goku ordered.

"But I'll…" Picollo hesitated. Sure, he wanted to kill Goku, but honorably.

"Just do it!" Goku hollered. "We won't get another chance." Raditz writhed violently in Goku's grasp, yelling obscenities.

…

Hana gathered herself, and stood up. The pain wasn't so bad, once she got used to it. She toddled hesitantly over the ruins of the porch, and leant against a pole to observe the battle.

Her dad had Raditz locked against him, and he was yelling at Picollo. Hana looked with wonder at Picollo – even without meditating, she could sense an incredible amount of ki energy emanating from him.

"Fine!" Hana heard Picollo spit. "Special Beam Cannon!" An intense wave of light and energy shot out of Picollo's hands like a bullet, piercing the hearts of first Raditz, then Goku.

Raditz's corpse fell to the sand, forgotten. Goku fell more slowly, and Hana eyes widened and stomach plummeted as she saw her dad's broken body strike the gritty sand.

Hana's throat tightened, and she stumbled through the sand to reach her father. "D-dad," the child croaked, kneeling next to her father's torso.

Somehow, the Saiyan was still alive. He achingly tilted his head and smiled at his daughter. "I'm so proud," he mouthed, though hardly any sound passed his lips. His body gave one last shudder, until at last his soul was forced into the otherworld, leaving only a broken body behind.

Hana sobbed, burying her head into her father's neck.

…

"Well, that's one for the bucket list," Picollo muttered drily to himself.

[Picollo's Bucket List:

Kill Son Goku ✓

Rule Planet

Piss off Kami]

7


	3. Ch3 - Dinosaurs and Gorillas

**Chapter 3 – OR – Dinosaurs and Apes**

"Oh _hell_ no," Bulma placed her hands on her fists. "There is no way you're taking Hana off to train in the wilderness for a year!"

"This is not negotiable," Picollo glared at woman. "In one year, more Saiyans will arrive on this planet. As we are, we will be slaughtered. But Hana has the potential to fight these invaders."

"Goku just _died_ fighting just one of these Saiyans, and you want to throw Hana into this fight!" Bulma raised her hands, outraged.

"Miss Bulma?" Hana tugged on the woman's pants to catch her attention. "I need to help. It won't be easy, but it's the right thing to do. It's what dad would want me to do."

"What about your mom?" asked Krillin.

"Hmm," Hana frowned. "She'll be mad. You might want to hide. But I think she'll understand."

"Great," Picollo interrupted, uncomfortable with the conversation. "Kid, let's go."

"Tell Mom I'll be fine," Hana looked at Bulma. "C'mon, Nimbus!"

Hana flew off on Nimbus, following Picollo.

Krillin looked sadly at Goku's body. "She seems to be taking this well."

…

Hana checked that the island was out of sight. Picollo was rather far ahead.

Good.

"Waagh!" Hana clutched Nimbus, wailing.

…

Picollo sighed, his enhanced hearing clearly picking up Hana's cries. This was going to be a long year.

* * *

"Survive," Picollo ordered. "I'll be back in a few months."

Hana shifted to look at Nimbus.

"And no using your magic cloud!"

Nimbus, aided in part bits its fluffy appearance, managed to look sheepish.

"I wonder if Krillin is still alive," Hana wondered aloud as she traipsed through the wasteland. "Mom's going to flay _somebody_ for all of this." Hana kicked a stone fiercely, destroying a small plateau.

"Huh, that's new," Hana muttered, examining the rubble.

It had been three weeks. Normally, Hana would have started on the Son family tax forms by now. Mom would have to take care of them, this year, which Hana imagined would be quite a headache…depending on what the official story behind her husband and daughter's absence was. Was Goku dead in the eyes of law? Where was Hana right now, according to the authorities? Hana would really not prefer to return home only to be taken away by Child Protective Services.

Eh, Mom was the Ox Princess. She could handle it.

...

The day began like any other, out in the wilderness. Hana slept in a small shelter, constructed of wood, leaf, and stone, placed a stones throw from a clear stream. Shelter and water were not an issue for Hana. No, the real struggle came in gathering enough food to fuel her enormous appetite.

Before the hairy radish man attacked, Hana had done some research into the dietary needs of human beings. People, on average, need about 2,000 calories to live comfortably. Her father, Hana calculated, consumed closer to 25,000 calories daily, and showed no signs of gaining anything but muscle weight. Hana needed 15,000 calories to feel comfortable, but could go as low as 7,000 without losing any significant body mass.

In the wilderness, though, it was a struggle to meet even that lower goal. Hana's training in sensing energy was a necessity for her survival, allowing her to hunt in a wide range more effectively, though that process did not come without its own guilt. Most animals trusted Hana implicitly, settling around the young demi-saiyan without fear.

The first time Hana killed an animal for food, she dry-heaved, both seeing and sensing the slight spirit of the creature ascend into the Otherworld.

"Thank you," she cried, gathering up the broken body. "I promise, your sacrifice will not be in vain." This was her hunting litany.

Hana chose her targets carefully, not wanting to cause an imbalance in the ecosystem. In the early days Hana would run great distances to find new hunting grounds – later, she flew, a skill born of necessity.

Ki blasts developed in much the same way, with Hana starting out rubbing two sticks together and ending up blasting her kindling in frustration.

This skill wound up being quite useful on that one day that began like any other, out in the wilderness. Hana was hunting in a new section of the wilderness. She noted absently that the rock spires in this section were particularly pointy, and noted with far more apprehension the giant claw marks gouged into the sides of these rock spires.

However, these signs were not enough to convince Hana that there was a monster lurking in the wilderness. It took the emergence of a massive Tyrannosaurus Rex to convince Hana to react on an instinctual, animal level.

But fight, or flight?

 _I promise, your sacrifice will not be in vain._

Hana chose to fight. Gathering her ki, Hana launched herself away from lizard king's monstrous, bounced off a rock, and planted her foot square in the middle of the T-Rex's jaw, knocking the creature off balance. Imagining herself in front of a campfire, Hana straddled the massive beasts snout, and fired twin ki blasts from her palms into the Rex's wide eyes, killing the creature.

"Thank you," Hana floated into the air, and watched the T-Rex crumple to the ground. "I promise, your sacrifice will not be in vain."

Then the small demi-saiyan fainted.

…

 _That was pretty metal_ , Picollo admitted, if only to himself. He flew closer to the small girl, his gaze lingering for a long moment before he struck a meditative pose, keeping vigil over his unconscious pupil.

…

Hana regained consciousness slowly, blinking to clear her blurry eyes. A vast array of stars blossomed before Hana's eyes, transfixing the girl. In that moment, Hana could internalize the multitudinous nature of creation for the first, her sharp eyes finding and failing to count the stars glowing so far away.

A grin lit up Hana's face – she had never seen the stars before. To think that, ultimately, part of her heritage found its origin somewhere in that vast expanse…

Hana turned, and found her gaze transfixed by the seemingly largest figure in the nighttime sky, the moon. It was a massive, Hana observed, and she absently considered eccentricities of orbital paths that could have contrived to make the moon so enticingly close. Perhaps, if she could fly a bit closer, she could touch…

A hot rush of primal fury overcame Hana, and she thought no more that night.

…

 _My pupil is turning into an ape!_ Picollo panicked. Hana had already multiplied in size several times over, her body entirely covered with coarse brown fur.

"Goku, I blame you for this!" Picollo shouted at the sky. Perhaps the idiot could hear him in the Otherworld.

The great ape reached the size of a large house, then stopped growing any further. Though, Picollo corrected himself, Hana had not turned into a great ape precisely – she possessed a tail, and her snout somehow looked more canine than any true ape would wear.

A roar, far more fearsome than the T-Rex's, erupted from the beasts mouth, followed shortly by a beam of pure energy and a fearsome sweep of her claws at a rocky pillar.

"Dammit, Goku!" Picollo swore, strategically retreating out of reach of the ape's energy blasts. "If it weren't for _your_ genes…" and Raditz's genes. The tail was an exploitable weakness!

Not giving himself time to come up with a more reasonable plan, Picollo sped forward and grabbed the tail before the ape could strike.

"Got the tail!" Picollo shouted to nobody, glad that at least one part of his plan had worked. The ape froze, and its ki blast disrupted. It turned, menacingly, to destroy the pest thwarting its advance, roaring in the face of the green man.

Picollo frowned, his antennae flopping backwards from the force of the wind. Thankfully, there had been no ki blast to accompany that roar. Picollo considered his next move for a long moment. He could kill the moon, the apparent originator – beside Goku – of this transformation, but he discarded that notion on the grounds that he didn't want to accidentally destroy the Earth as well. Severing Hana's tail was another option, but Picollo didn't want to risk causing the girl permanent damage. In the end, Picollo went with the option that felt right:

"Son Hana!" Picollo yelled, locking eyes with the ape. "Stop this right now, or so help me…" tail in hand, Picollo flew right up to the ape's face, "I will tell your mother."

The ape reeled back, as if struck, and curled in on herself.

… _the hell?_

The ape shuddered, and blinked several times, before opening her eyes anew. She surveyed the wanton destruction, and knew that she was the ultimate cause. How many animals had she slain in her rampage?

"Hana," a steady voice pierced through the primal perception of the ape. "Calm down. You're safe."

Hana believed him, heaved a breath in, sighed, and fell asleep.

In moments, the massive ape shrank into the form of a small child, with a long tail. Picollo considered for a moment, and recreated a version of her father's iconic orange gi for the girl with his clothes beam.

…How was he able to do that again?

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Just so you know, this story does not have a set update schedule, or guarantees of completion. Sorry about that! Reviews and ideas are appreciated here (I'm kinda flying by the seat of my pants). Blame any continuity errors of DBZ Abridged, lol.**


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